EPISODE 004: DECISION-MAKING AND ETHICS
Welcome back to Emotional Organization! I’m so excited to be here with you on Episode 4—I feel like I’m really hitting my stride with this podcast, and today’s topic is one I’m truly passionate about: decision-making and ethics. This is more than just a skill; it’s a doorway into understanding ourselves, aligning with our inner desires, and setting up a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.
One of my goals for this podcast is to empower you to lead your own growth with confidence, emotional awareness, and true alignment with your values. Decision-making connects all these pieces, bringing us closer to our goals and desires with every choice we make. When we can make decisions that resonate with our inner needs, we create outcomes that last.
Today’s episode is packed with big, juicy topics. We’re diving into how personal values and philosophical paradigms shape our choices, exploring decision-making frameworks, and tackling those tricky obstacles like decision paralysis. This is a comprehensive guide to making decisions that truly reflect who you are. So, buckle up and get ready—there’s a lot to uncover, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Stick around for fresh insights, scenarios that bring these ideas to life, and plenty of takeaways to apply immediately. Let’s get started!
What is decision-making?
Decision-making is deeply personal and can feel like a big concept, but at its core, it’s about selecting a course of action from the options in front of you.
What influences our decision-making?
How we make decisions is often influenced by our values, experiences, and even our philosophical views on life. How you decide isn’t just a matter of following steps—it’s influenced by your unique perspective.
In this way, our beliefs, values, and experiences could create bias in our decision-making that leads to poor outcomes. Now you might be saying… Wait a minute! Denaige, you are all about values and beliefs! How can they bias my decision making?? And if you are, then you’re asking the right question!
How personal values and paradigms influence decision-making
Each of us has a default position when it comes to the moral philosophies that we adopt. Moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy that considers what is right and wrong. It explores the nature of morality and examines how people should live their lives in relation to others. Philosophy is deep, so stick with me as we poke our heads into a couple areas that really matter when it comes to understanding yourself and learning to make good decisions.
At a high level, I want you to know there are three big buckets to moral philosophy. The first bucket relates to big picture ethical questions about what we think is true but may not be. Questions like What is Justice? And What is morality? We call this meta-ethics… thinking about ethics.
Then, the second big bucket relates to specific ethical questions related to medical ethics, business ethics, engineering ethics, etc. It questions the importance of practical issues like war and capital punishment. It’s called applied ethics …. Sort of ethics in practice.
Then, the third bucket and the one we are most interested in today, holds questions about what we ought to do by using frameworks for determining what is right and wrong. It’s called normative ethics and there are four main frameworks. I want you to listen to these and think about which one feels most like you.
• Utilitarianism: If you find yourself aiming to make decisions that benefit the most people, you might lean towards a utilitarian view. This approach is about maximizing happiness and minimizing harm for the group. If you’re in a leadership role, for example, this view might influence you to make choices that support the team or organization, even if it means some sacrifices.
• Deontological Ethics: Maybe, for you, it’s more about sticking to principles or doing what feels ethically 'right,' regardless of the outcome. In this view, some actions are simply wrong or right. Deontologists believe in duties and rules—like fairness or honesty—so if your choices often stem from personal principles, you might be coming from this framework.
• Virtue Ethics: This approach encourages us to think about who we are becoming through our choices. If you’re someone who focuses on how your decisions align with personal traits like integrity or kindness, you may resonate with virtue ethics. Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, it’s about the kind of person each decision is helping you to become.
• Hedonism vs. Altruism: Here, we’re balancing individual happiness against the group’s. Hedonism leans toward personal happiness or fulfillment, while altruism emphasizes benefits to others, sometimes at personal cost. Think about your patterns: do you tend to prioritize personal joy, or do you feel more fulfilled helping others, even if it’s challenging?
I encourage you to consider: which of these approaches feel natural to you? Do you lean toward making others happy, or do you prioritize personal fulfillment? Recognizing these preferences can give you a better understanding of why you approach decisions the way you do, helping you to make choices that truly reflect who you are and what matters to you."
Let’s think of these in a scenario where:
A company is facing financial difficulties and needs to cut costs significantly to stay afloat. The leadership team is considering layoffs but wants to make a decision that reflects the company's values and minimizes harm.
In a utilitarian framework, the decision would focus on maximizing overall happiness or minimizing harm for the largest number of people. The leadership team might decide to reduce everyone’s hours or salaries temporarily instead of laying off a few employees. By sharing the burden across the organization, they aim to keep as many people employed as possible, even if it involves some sacrifice for all. This way, they maintain team morale and reduce the number of people impacted by job loss, prioritizing the well-being of the broader group.
With deontological ethics, the focus is on following principles and acting in a way that is “right” by ethical standards, regardless of the consequences. Here, the leadership might prioritize transparency, honesty, and fairness. They could, for example, create a layoff process based on clear and objective criteria, such as tenure or job necessity, rather than making cuts based on performance alone or random selection. Their goal is to ensure that the process is fair and respects each person’s dignity, even if it results in tough outcomes. The decision might be harder on the organization, but it’s rooted in the principle of fairness.
A virtue ethics approach asks what kind of leaders they want to be in making this decision. The focus might be on qualities like compassion, integrity, or loyalty to employees. Leaders might ask themselves, “How can we handle this situation in a way that embodies kindness and responsibility?” They could decide to invest time in helping those laid off find new jobs, offering generous severance packages or transition support to show care and empathy. This approach is less about the practical outcome and more about ensuring their actions reflect the values they want to uphold as leaders.
In the hedonism-altruism framework, there’s a choice between prioritizing personal or organizational happiness versus sacrificing for the good of others. If leaders lean toward hedonism, they might make the decision that preserves their own positions or minimizes stress on leadership, possibly choosing layoffs as a quick solution without much consideration for the employees. Conversely, an altruistic approach would focus on taking on personal or organizational hardship to support their employees, perhaps by pursuing alternative cost-saving measures even if it means reduced profitability or bonuses for leaders. This approach reflects a self-sacrificial stance that values the employees’ welfare above short-term comfort.
This scenario shows how each framework leads to distinct choices. By understanding these perspectives, you can see how personal values and paradigms influence decision-making. There’s no single right answer—each approach offers unique strengths and considerations. Recognizing which framework resonates with you can help guide you in challenging decisions, giving you a clear sense of purpose and alignment with your values. And, it can also give you a mechanism to find the flaws in your approach as well.
When making important decisions it can be really helpful to take a look at the issue from a philosophical perspective to see where you are biased and how you naturally lean into the problem and solution. Strong leaders are able to adopt a different perspective—even temporarily—so they can investigate other paradigms and perspectives and learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of potential decisions.
Discovering your approach to decision-making
Now that we’ve explored the philosophy behind decision-making, let’s talk about some practical approaches to decision-making. Different situations call for different methods, and understanding these approaches can help you choose the best way forward based on your goals, time, and available information. Let’s start by outlining the main approaches and then dive into what makes each unique.
The rational approach is methodical and data-driven. It involves clearly defining the problem, gathering as much information as possible, evaluating each option’s pros and cons, and selecting the choice with the highest logical benefit.
- Pros:
- Reduces bias by focusing on facts and analysis.
- Helps make objective, consistent decisions, especially in complex situations.
- Cons:
- Can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- May lead to “analysis paralysis” if overdone, particularly when options are numerous or information is incomplete.
- When to Use: The rational approach is best for high-stakes decisions where there’s ample time and resources to analyze options—think strategic business decisions, financial investments, or project planning.
2. The Intuitive Approach relies on gut feelings, instincts, or subconscious processing. While it may seem less concrete, intuition is often based on experience and rapid processing of subtle cues that the brain has picked up over time.
- Pros:
- Quick, making it ideal for decisions under time pressure.
- Useful in familiar situations where past experience offers guidance.
- Cons:
- Can be subjective and lead to impulsive decisions.
- May not always be reliable in unfamiliar or complex situations, as intuition alone can overlook critical information.
- When to Use: The intuitive approach works best in routine or emergency situations where you’ve had relevant prior experience, like managing sudden challenges at work or making quick personal decisions.
3. The heuristic approach involves using mental shortcuts, or “rules of thumb,” to make quicker decisions without delving into every detail. It’s somewhat of a middle ground between rational and intuitive approaches.
- Pros:
- Allows for faster decision-making without getting bogged down by overthinking.
- Helps simplify complex problems and is useful when options are limited.
- Cons:
- Can lead to cognitive biases (e.g., assuming past outcomes will always predict the future).
- May oversimplify complex situations, leading to errors in judgment.
- When to Use: This approach is ideal for repetitive tasks or common decisions where detailed analysis isn’t practical. Examples include everyday business decisions or personal choices where time is limited but a quick answer is needed.
4. The Collaborative/Consensus-Based Approach involves gathering input from multiple stakeholders or team members to reach a collective decision. It’s a shared, democratic process often used in organizational settings.
- Pros:
- Provides a diversity of perspectives, which can lead to more well-rounded decisions.
- Builds trust and commitment by involving others in the process.
- Cons:
- Can be slow, especially if many people are involved.
- Risk of “groupthink,” where the desire for consensus overrides critical analysis.
- When to Use: The collaborative approach works best in team settings, particularly for decisions that impact multiple people or departments. It’s especially valuable for organizational planning, team projects, and decisions affecting workplace culture.
Each of these approaches serves a purpose, and the best one to use depends on the situation, the decision’s complexity, and how much time you have. Recognizing which approach is most effective for each type of decision can save time, reduce stress, and lead to more confident choices.
Here’s a takeaway: the rational approach provides structure, intuition speeds up decisions in familiar contexts, heuristics offer quick answers without overthinking, and collaboration taps into collective insight. Being able to choose the right approach for each situation is a powerful skill and can help you make aligned, efficient decisions that support your goals."
Challenges of Decision-Making
Making decisions, especially in business and career contexts, can be complex. Not only are there practical challenges that come up in real-world scenarios, but there are also internal struggles that can weigh heavily on us. Let’s dig into some of these challenges, covering both the external, practical ones and the internal, personal challenges."
1. Information Overload
- Challenge: We often face an overwhelming amount of information. In today’s data-driven world, we have analytics, reports, and opinions at our fingertips, and it can be paralyzing to sort through it all.
- Example: Imagine being in a managerial role with access to performance metrics, customer feedback, and market trends. Deciding which metrics truly matter for a specific decision can be difficult.
- Solution: Prioritize the most relevant data. Think about which information directly impacts the decision at hand and focus on those pieces rather than every detail.
2. Resource Limitations (Time, Money, and People)
- Challenge: Often, decisions in business are bound by limited resources. We may not have all the time, money, or people needed to implement an ideal choice, forcing us to make tough calls.
- Example: In a startup, you may have only a small budget and team. Deciding where to allocate resources—product development or marketing—requires balancing potential impact with available resources.
- Solution: Prioritize based on goals. Assess the resources you have and ask which option brings the most return on investment or aligns closest with the organization’s primary objectives.
3. Short- vs. Long-Term Trade-Offs
- Challenge: Deciding between short-term wins and long-term gains is common. Sometimes, a choice may offer immediate benefits but compromise the future, or vice versa.
- Example: A company might decide to cut costs quickly by reducing quality control. While this saves money in the short term, it risks damaging customer trust and brand reputation down the line.
- Solution: Align decisions with core values and long-term vision. Consider how each option supports or detracts from where you want to be in the future.
4. Stakeholder Expectations
- Challenge: Decisions often affect various groups, such as team members, clients, and investors. Managing these expectations while staying true to your vision can be tough.
- Example: If you’re deciding on a business restructuring, team members may worry about job security, while investors may be focused on profitability. Balancing these interests requires careful consideration.
- Solution: Communicate openly and transparently. Clear communication with stakeholders about your reasoning and intentions can help manage expectations, even if the decision isn’t favorable for everyone.
We can all relate to those four challenges, but at a more personal level, most of us have a few other, more personal challenges.
1. Fear of Making the Wrong Choice
- Challenge: The fear of failure or making a poor decision can lead to self-doubt and hesitation. This is especially true in high-stakes situations where the impact is broad.
- Example: As a leader deciding whether to promote someone internally or hire externally, you may fear choosing wrong and disappointing others or harming team dynamics.
- Solution: Embrace a growth mindset. Understand that while mistakes are possible, they’re also learning opportunities. Make the best choice with the information you have and give yourself grace.
2. Conflict Between Values and Outcomes
- Challenge: When a decision feels at odds with your core values, it can be difficult to act. Sometimes, the “right” choice on paper might not feel right on a personal level.
- Example: Suppose you need to lay off staff due to budget cuts. Even if this is necessary for the business’s health, it can feel deeply uncomfortable and challenge personal values like loyalty and compassion.
- Solution: Stay anchored to your values. Reflect on how you can respect your values in the decision’s execution—like offering resources or support for those affected.
3. Emotional Bias and Attachment
- Challenge: We all have biases, whether conscious or not, and sometimes our emotions can cloud judgment, leading to choices that favor personal attachments or avoid uncomfortable outcomes.
- Example: If you’re deciding on which team member to promote, emotional bias might lead you to choose a friend over someone more qualified. This may be subtle but can affect outcomes significantly.
- Solution: Bring in objectivity. Practice stepping back and asking yourself if the decision would change if someone else were making it. Setting emotional distance can make it easier to prioritize fair outcomes.
4. Responsibility and Guilt
- Challenge: When our decisions impact people’s lives or careers, feelings of guilt or responsibility can weigh us down. This is especially common in roles with significant authority, like leadership.
- Example: In a scenario requiring layoffs, a leader may feel personal responsibility for the negative impacts on employees’ lives, even if the decision was unavoidable.
- Solution: Separate the personal from the professional. Acknowledge the impact, but recognize that your responsibility is to the bigger picture and the health of the team or organization.
Each of these challenges is real and complex. Recognizing them is the first step to moving through them. The practical challenges can often be managed with structure, prioritization, and communication, while the internal ones require self-reflection, empathy, and sometimes just taking a step back.
Remember, decision-making is as much about self-awareness as it is about action. By understanding these challenges, you can make choices that are not only effective but also aligned with who you are and the impact you want to have."
Decision-making frameworks
Once we understand our default moral perspectives and the approaches available, frameworks give us tools to confidently navigate complex decisions. Frameworks can help reduce uncertainty and make sure our choices align with both our personal and organizational goals.
Each decision-making approach has its strengths, whether it’s providing structure, speeding up decisions in familiar contexts, offering quick answers, or leveraging collective insight. Knowing which approach to use in each situation is a powerful skill that leads to aligned, efficient decisions. Here are some frameworks that fit each approach."
1. Structured Frameworks for Rational Approaches
For decisions that require a clear, methodical structure and thorough analysis, these frameworks help you weigh all factors and make a logical choice.
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: Ideal for situations where you need to weigh the pros and cons in financial or resource terms. This framework provides structure by quantifying the costs and benefits associated with each option.
- Example: Use this when deciding on resource allocations or investments, like whether to purchase new equipment or continue with existing resources.
- SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats): This framework takes a balanced look at internal and external factors impacting the decision. It’s helpful for larger strategic choices where you need a comprehensive view.
- Example: When considering market expansion or launching a new product, SWOT can help clarify both risks and advantages.
- Decision Matrix (or Weighted Decision Matrix): For decisions with multiple important criteria, a weighted decision matrix provides a way to compare options systematically, prioritizing based on what matters most.
- Example: Use this for vendor selection or evaluating project proposals based on factors like cost, time, and quality.
2. Intuitive Frameworks for Familiar Situations
In situations where you have relevant experience, intuitive frameworks enable quicker, more instinctual choices while still offering some structure.
- Pros and Cons List: A simple but effective tool for assessing choices. This framework is quick to implement and helps make choices in familiar scenarios without overthinking.
- Example: Deciding whether to take on a familiar client project with a short turnaround. Listing pros and cons based on past experience can simplify the decision.
- OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act): Originally used in dynamic and fast-paced contexts, the OODA Loop is ideal for familiar situations that require quick reactions. It’s a continuous cycle, so you can adjust as you gather more information.
- Example: In crisis management or urgent decision-making, like responding to a sudden change in project requirements, OODA helps you stay agile and adapt based on real-time observations.
3. Heuristic Frameworks for Quick Decisions
For routine or low-stakes decisions where you don’t want to overthink, heuristic frameworks provide a way to streamline decision-making without getting bogged down by detail.
- Rule of Thumb (Heuristics): Often, a simple rule of thumb, like “past behavior predicts future outcomes,” can guide quick, low-stakes choices.
- Example: In hiring, you might prioritize candidates with certain skill sets that have worked well in similar roles, using past experiences as a guide.
For routine or low-stakes decisions where overthinking isn’t practical, heuristic frameworks allow for streamlined decision-making, enabling you to make effective choices quickly.
• The Familiarity Heuristic: This approach leverages past experiences to guide your decisions, helping you choose options you know have worked well in similar situations.
o Example: In hiring, if you’re familiar with a specific skill set that’s been effective in previous roles, you might prioritize candidates who have those skills. By applying this familiarity, you make a faster, informed choice without needing extensive evaluation.
- 6 Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono): While more creative, this framework taps into different mental “hats” (perspectives) to quickly assess a decision from multiple angles without deep analysis. It’s effective when you need a quick yet balanced perspective.
- Example: If you’re brainstorming options for a team-building event, using each “hat” can help you quickly explore practical, emotional, and creative angles without diving too deeply into any one aspect.
4. Collaborative Frameworks for Consensus-Based Decisions
When a decision impacts multiple people or requires diverse input, collaborative frameworks offer structured ways to gather insight and build buy-in from the team.
- SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) (Team Version): Revisited here as a collaborative tool, SWOT can be expanded for group use, inviting team members to contribute their perspectives on internal strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats.
- Example: For strategic planning sessions or assessing major project risks, engaging the whole team in a SWOT exercise can build consensus and uncover a range of insights.
- 6 Thinking Hats (Team Exercise): Again, this framework can be leveraged as a team exercise to ensure all perspectives are covered. Assign each team member a “hat” or rotate hats so that the team explores each decision aspect together.
- Example: When deciding on a significant organizational change, like implementing remote work policies, 6 Thinking Hats enables the team to address facts, emotions, and logistics collaboratively.
- Brainstorming and Consensus Mapping: For purely collaborative decisions, methods like brainstorming and consensus mapping help the team collectively generate and evaluate options, gradually narrowing down choices to a final decision.
- Example: When launching a new product, gathering input from cross-functional teams ensures alignment and a well-rounded view of potential impacts on the company.
These frameworks, organized by approach, offer a path to clear and confident decision-making. If you’re looking for structure, rational frameworks like cost-benefit analysis and decision matrices provide a solid foundation. For familiar situations, intuitive approaches like the OODA Loop can help you act quickly and adjust on the go. Heuristic methods give you efficient shortcuts for low-stakes decisions, while collaborative frameworks ensure you’re gathering the team’s best insights for shared decisions.
Remember, mastering decision-making isn’t just about choosing a framework; it’s about knowing which approach fits best for each unique situation. With practice, these tools can help you build stronger, more aligned decisions that move you forward."
Overcoming Decision Paralysis
Decision paralysis—also called analysis paralysis—can hold us back from moving forward. It’s that feeling of being stuck when faced with a choice, unable to decide because we’re overwhelmed by options, fear making the wrong move, or just feel uncertain. Many of my clients experience this, especially when their choices impact not only their career but also their well-being or the people around them. The paralysis happens when we get overwhelmed by the challenges of decision making.
So, let’s find out how analysis paralysis occurs and how you can overcome it so you can start making choices with confidence."
What is Decision Paralysis?
Decision paralysis happens when we overthink or analyze options so much that it prevents us from making a decision at all. This can happen for several reasons:
- Fear of Mistakes: Worrying about choosing wrong can lead to hesitation and second-guessing, especially in high-stakes decisions.
- Too Many Choices: When faced with too many options, we can feel overwhelmed by trying to consider them all, which can stall us out.
- Perfectionism: Striving for a ‘perfect’ solution can make it hard to act, as we become fixated on details or potential outcomes.
This paralysis doesn’t just impact productivity—it can erode confidence, too. Every time we hesitate, we reinforce the idea that we don’t trust our own judgment. But there are ways to break free from decision paralysis, and I want to share some strategies with you."
Strategies to Overcome Decision Paralysis
I think it is really helpful to have strategies to overcome your decision paralysis and I’m going to use a really familiar scenario so that we can explore different strategies in practice.
Imagine you are out to lunch with a group of friends. You haven’t seen each other for a while, there is lots to talk about and the server arrives to take your order. But wait! You aren’t ready! You’ve barely had a chance to say hi to everyone and all you really want is a few minutes to get settled and catch up.
1. Set Clear Priorities
Those things you “really want” , “only want” or “just want” these are priorities come to light through your wishful thinking monolog. In that moment, your priorities are greeting friends and getting a glass of water. Knowing (and setting) clear priorities helps us to eliminate options that clearly don’t align.
In our lunch scenario, being clear with the server that everyone needs a few minutes to get settled before ordering and that a round of water would be perfect in that moment helps everyone get clear on what’s important and what’s not.
When you’re clear on your priorities, it’s easier to eliminate options that don’t align with them. Setting priorities can give you a filter to focus on what really matters.
2. Limit Your Options
After a few minutes, you’re all looking over the menu and there are so many options! It’s the weekend and you would love to have a big beautiful breakfast, but there are three new soup and sandwich combinations that look delicious and the beet salad is always amazing, so maybe you want to stick with a tried and true favorite!
Which way to go? Decisions, decisions!
Too many options can make it challenging to compare choices and feel confident in moving forward. By narrowing down our options to just two or three, it makes comparison easier. Then by using a framework like pro’s and con’s or heuristics, you can make a quick, thoughtful decision.
When I’m at a restaurant, one of my heuristics is to only order what I cannot or do not make for myself. I like trying new foods, and there are some things I love (fish and chips) but I never cook for myself.
3. Set a Decision-Making Deadline
Giving yourself a time limit to come to a decision can also be helpful. Deadlines prevent endless deliberation by setting a firm boundary on your decision process. In this case, you could tell the server you need 10 minutes to decide, or you could go forward ordering starters and then tell yourself you will decide on your main dish once the starters arrive.
4. Break Down Large Decisions into Smaller Steps
By ordering starters and committing to ordering mains later, you have broken down a bigger decision into smaller steps. This can help to make the overall decision less intimidating.
5. Use the ‘Good Enough’ Principle
It’s easy to get caught in the trap of perfectionism where we tell ourselves there is a right decision (and therefore anything else is wrong). But that is just not the case. There are many ways that we can be happy, satisfied, and have great joy in life. By embracing the ‘good enough’ principle, we remind ourselves that the situation doesn’t need a perfect solution. Sometimes, any decision is good enough. In this case, what you eat for lunch is not nearly as important as the discussion and connection with your friends.
6. Visualize the Worst-Case Scenario
Another approach that can be helpful is imagining the worst-case scenario. It helps us see that even the ‘wrong’ choice is rarely catastrophic.
7. Trust Your Past Wins
Sometimes, just looking back at past decisions where you succeeded can build confidence in your own judgment. Think back on similar decisions that turned out well for you. Maybe you love the spontaneous nature of closing your eyes and picking what you point on the menu; or maybe you’ve never been let down by a soup and sandwich combo…
The strategies we just explored can be applied beyond everyday situations, especially when bigger decisions are at play. Here’s how you might use these same strategies if you’re facing a major career decision. Say you’re considering taking on a new job. If we use these seven strategies our approach might look like this.
First, you dive into the decision itself, taking time to identify your top three priorities for this decision. For example, your priorities might be work-life balance, growth opportunities, and alignment with your values. Think of these as your preferred outcomes. If you could only have one result, what would it be? Try to prioritize your outcomes so that you can be clear on any trade offs and how to evaluate them.
Then, you can narrow down your options to just two or three of the best ones by considering them in relation to your priorities. Which opportunities satisfy the priorities best? Use a framework like a pros and cons list to compare. And, if you really want to geek out with decision making, try doing a SWOT analysis to really dig into what the different options might look like down the road.
Be honest with yourself about the weight of your decision and give yourself enough time to evaluate options without pushing the decision so far down the road that your indecision becomes a decision in itself. Knowing you have a set timeframe can help you push past the stall-out point. This technique gives you time to mull things over and let your mind explore at its own pace. But it also forces you to make a decision within an accepted time frame. This approach can be helpful when you are making decisions in changing environments. You need to make choices, but things are always evolving. What is “right” today may not be tomorrow. By knowing your priorities, aligning options with those priorities, and then evaluating potential gains and losses, you will have a lot more confidence in the quality of your decision.
If you’re still struggling at this point, then you probably need to Break It Into Bite-Sized Decisions: List out the individual steps of the decision-making process, like gathering information, identifying options, evaluating each one, and then choosing. Focus on completing one step at a time, rather than thinking of it all in one lump. And, if you’re the type of person who likes the bite-sized approach in general, then feel free to start out by breaking it down as a first step. Be careful though—this might make you feel better because the decisions are smaller but you might just be creating more work and end up feeling more overwhelmed. If that happens, then remind yourself that decisions only need to be good enough.
Keep an eye out for perfectionism and don’t let yourself fall into the trap of thinking everything needs to be neat and tidy with no loose ends. Just Ask yourself, “Does this option meet my basic needs?” or “Will this work for now?” If the answer is yes, move forward knowing you can adjust if needed. This approach can be especially helpful for perfectionists who struggle with finalizing a choice.
In our example, if making income is a priority and loving your job is important (but not top spot), then taking any job is likely better than indecision.
And if things seem really overwhelming, find reassurance by preparing for the worst case scenario. If you take one job and find you don’t like it or the boss is difficult to work with, then go back to the drawing board and look for other opportunities. There’s no guarantees the other options wouldn’t have ended up the same way and dwelling on hypothetical lost opportunities doesn’t do anything for you other than waste your time and teach you to doubt yourself.
In this case, the worst case scenario of not liking your job is pretty manageable. Asking yourself, could I handle it if I didn’t like the job? How would I recover? And talking yourself through those answers will let you see that you are fully capable of handling any outcome—even the worst case ones.
It is always a good idea to remind yourself that you are capable and competent of decision making. Reflect on a decision you made in the past that turned out well. What did you do to reach that choice? Reminding yourself of your abilities can boost confidence and help you move forward.
Recap & Take Away
Today, we’ve explored what influences our decision-making, from ethical frameworks to practical approaches. We examined common challenges, discussed decision-making frameworks, and walked through strategies for overcoming decision paralysis. The key takeaway? The more you understand your values and decision-making style, the more confident and aligned your choices will be.
"Decision paralysis is common, but it doesn’t have to control your choices. By setting priorities, limiting your options, and using these strategies, you can start making decisions with more clarity and confidence. Remember, decision-making is a skill that improves with practice. The more you push past that stall-out point, the more you’ll trust yourself to make choices that align with your goals and values.
If you’re facing a decision right now, try some of these strategies and see how they help you move forward. You have what it takes to choose well—even if you need to do it one step at a time!
Until next time, keep making those emotions work for you!
